The trio fell asleep tangled in and around one another. The sound of a phone ringing woke them all. Abby pulled a leg out from in-between jet and tony and an arm from under Tony's head tony pulled his chest free from jets grip and jet just laid there letting the other two figure out what went to who.
Tony snatched the phone from the bedside table and angered it just before it was set to go to voice mail.
"What?" he snapped into the phone.
"Tony you've slept well I hope."
"Yes Michele I slept fine has your group decided?"
"Ah straight to the point then I shall as well. Yes we have decided we will trade, our scientists have even offered to include some basic research to aide your friends."
"Thank you Michele." Abby yelled into the phone before Tony gave her a look of are you nuts.
"Tony he's 112 years old I think he's going to figure things out eventually."
Tony just shook his head and flopped back onto the bed but he ended up getting a knee in the back. "Ouch damn it Jet that thinks pretty boney."
"Anthony," Michele said, "are you all right?"
"Yeah I'm fine there are a few too many limbs in this bed at the moment, look I really don't want to do this but can you I don't know can your come over and have coffee or something there are a few questions I think need answers even if I'm not quite the same as you."
"Is your apartment alright?"
"Yeah its fine look do you mind if Abby and Jet stay? They," tony took a deep breath, "they have questions to."
"Yes I think the traditional rules are out the window shall we say where you are concerned Anthony when would you like me to…"
"Give us an hour, is that enough time for you to get here?"
"Yes that will be fine."
Closing the phone tony sighed, "There are you happy?"
Jet pulled his leg out from under Tony, rolled so he was laying down alongside the younger man, "Tony we," he stopped, "we want you to be safe and sound, why does the idea of people caring about you mess with you so much?"
"Because it does damn it." Tony pushed up from the bed, "I'm taking a shower."
Gibbs looked at Abby, "What the hell did his dad do to him?"
"Nothing he should have." Abby said.
"I see that, I wish hearing him say he was fine didn't piss me off because it actually meant there wasn't anything wrong with him. But we all know it means the opposite. Sometimes it kills me to watch him go through this like he's alone, why can't he see that we are here for him no matter what."
Gibbs turned away from Abby, "Damn it what the hell?" Gibbs swiped a hand at his eyes.
"Gibbs?" Abby crawled over to him and curled up in his lap. "It's okay."
"No it's not Abby there is something wrong with me every time I turn around I'm crying, I haven't cried in…" he shook his head taking a deep breath, "I haven't cried since Shannon and Kelly."
"I bet that was the last time you were in love to." She said lightly. Abby hugged her big tuff soft marine "It's okay."
"No no it's not Abby I think I need to talk to Ducky."
"Alright were supposed to see him tonight about the house, talk to him then. Come on let's go crash Tony's shower." Abby scooted off Gibbs lap and pulled him up.
"Maybe we should give him some space what if we've been smothering him Abbs?"
"Come on its Tony we have to show him how much we love him." Abby pulled Gibbs into the bathroom and opened the curtain.
"Abby showering here." Tony said with exasperation.
"We know where saving the planet and taking a shower together." Pushing Gibbs in she closed the curtain behind her. "Water conservation is important Tony we have to think about all those future generations now how about handing over the shampoo."
Tony shrugged and handed the Goth the bottle. "Why are you really guys here?"
Abby wrapped her arms around Tony's waist. "Because we love you and we have to show you."
"I know you guys care."
"That's not what I said Tony." Abby swatted Tony's ass.
Tony just shrugged. "The tanks not that big, guys might want to hurry up." And he stepped out.
The Goth and man shrugged and cleaned up, when they finished they heard the doorbell, both hurried to get dressed. When they walked out Tony was sitting on the couch staring at Michele who had taken the chair. Sitting on the coffee table was an orange cooler. "Is that my sample?" Abby asked flopping down on the couch. Gibbs sat down on the other side of tony putting his arm around the younger mans shoulder.
"Yes actually there are three samples from volunteers. They are hoping that maybe you and your doctor will find something that we have over looked."
"Being overly familiar with it, not being impartial?"
"Yes." Michele said with a head nod. "Though we are not sure you will be more impartial as you are close to Tony."
"But I've studied Tony's DNA before with a lot more ridding on the outcome."
"Abbs let's not talk about that please I still have nightmares about Chip."
"And I don't?"
Tony tipped his head to acquiesce the point. "Ok you did have to subdue him with nothing but a Cafepow and a roll of duck tape."
"Your family leads an interesting life Tony."
"And then some Michele."
"So what are your questions?" Michele asked.
"How often do you feed?" Abby blurted out.
"It varies slightly but most of us drink six times a day."
"Damn it Tony." Gibbs growled.
"What I didn't know Jesus, Jet."
"You do not?"
"No Michele I don't, it's usually about three times."
Michele raises his eyebrows.
"How much to you take?" Abby asked trying to head off another argument.
Michele shook his head at that question, "I am not sure I can give an actual measurement."
"Ok how long do you drink each time?" Abby restated her question.
"Three or four second."
"See I drink longer are you happy Jet?"
"No I'm not Michele do you drink from the same partner every time?"
"Ah so that's what this is about?" Tony mumbled.
"Only part of it." Gibbs said.
"Yes I do but most do not. I have a partner who is special she actually creates too many red blood cells. She has…"
"Wait she has Polycythemia."
"Yes you are aware of it?"
"Yes." Abby nodded, "So you lucked out, how about the others?"
"They have two to three partners a few of us have found lovers like Marrisa."
"Is your drinking habits effected by stress?" Gibbs asked.
"Somewhat we are not sure why. It's not significant unless the stress is continues."
"Tony." Abby whispered.
"Considering the conversation we had a moment ago about a Cafepow and duck tape your life is stressful?"
"Yeah it's stressful." Tony confirmed, "so my drinking less often but more pretty much means nothing."
"Yes though it may be one of your differences you had this stressful life before no."
"Yeah I had it before."
"It maybe what drove you're," with a pause Michele thought for a moment, "you're evolution." He said more of a question than a statement.
"But you don't know?" Gibbs pushed.
"We may never know all of Tony's differences or why but we will do what we can."
"Fine let's get this over with where's the damn needle." Tony said with as much apathy as he could manage.
"Would you like Abby to do it?" Michele offered.
"Yeah fine." Tony threw his head back onto the cushion of the couch and closed his eyes.
Michele looked quickly between the other two who just smiled and shrugged. Abby picked up the case next to the cooler figuring it was the syringes. Pulling the first one out she moved Tony's sleeve up, she swabbed the site with an antiseptic wipe. She felt Tony tense up though went she touched the need to his arm. Jet saw the response as well. He turned so that he faced Tony leaning in he whispered, "Be brave little boy and there will be more of this later." Then he kissed Tony, Jet made sure it was one of the most passionate kisses he'd ever given Tony. Jet felt Abby move next to him and he heard Tony whimper slightly as a second needle pierced his skin.
Just as Jet was about to break the kiss so he could breath he felt Abby's hand on his back. Pulling back Tony had a dreamy look on his face and Jet saw a black coat slip through the door.
"Thanks Abby." Gibbs said. "Hey bubble butt, you in there somewhere?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm here."
"I'm hungry let's go eat then we can talk to Ducky."
"Why are we talking to Ducky gonna see him tonight?"
Gibbs gave Abby the glare that told her she better not say anything. "Well about the house and if he thinks it would be okay for Mother to come or not."
"Oh yeah. All right let's go forage for food then." Tony said standing up adjusting himself when he did.